A Kiss for Life - Chapter 5

The first day of school was quite lively.

Wenzhu got into a conflict with a new transfer student. Usually, Wenzhu had an aggressive attitude, but she rarely showed it openly. The 11th High School was a key institution with a decent university admission rate. Though it upheld an inclusive teaching philosophy and did not impose excessively strict admission requirements, the overall environment was still highly driven, with students focused on academic success.

Wenzhu typically caused trouble outside school; within school, she was at most unruly but generally well-behaved.

According to the students from Class Three, after the fight, Lu Ye broke up with Wenzhu.

Their relationship had never been taken seriously. It had started because Lu Ye lost a bet and agreed to date Wenzhu. Their interactions were lukewarm, with Wenzhu being the clingier one. A breakup was inevitable, so no one was surprised.

However, their breakup was far less shocking than Shen Jinian skipping class.

It was said that Shen Jinian had taken Sheng Xia by the wrist and led her to the infirmary.

He stayed with her the entire time and even went to the convenience store midway to get ice for her to apply to her face.

The new transfer student was particularly feisty, bouncing around like an agitated rabbit and refusing to cooperate. Shen Jinian had to sternly scold her several times.

Someone who was nearby getting medicine saw the doll-faced girl on the verge of tears, her eyes brimming with moisture, as if she was about to cry any second.

And then, something unexpected happened—Shen Jinian, who was always indifferent, was actually comforting her.

Someone saw him bend down, open his palm in front of her, revealing a handful of colorful candies. The doll-faced girl hesitated before finally picking one, while the rest were stuffed into her pocket.

She asked, “Why did you buy so much candy?”

Leaning against the glass cabinet with one hand supporting his temple, Shen Jinian replied in a calm voice, “To coax you.”

The doll-faced girl pursed her lips, then grabbed all the candies from her pocket, unwrapped them, and stuffed them into her mouth. Mumbling, she said, “Fine, I’ll accept it reluctantly.”

Shen Jinian frowned. “Don’t eat so much. Spit it out.”

She shook her head. “Even my candy-eating habits are under your control now?”

“You’ll get cavities.”

Seeing her refuse to listen, Shen Jinian finally pinched her cheeks, forcing her to spit out the candies.

He held a tissue under her mouth, catching the half-melted sweets in his hand.

Then, he handed her some water. “You don’t feel sick after eating all that?”

Of course, not many people believed this rumor—it seemed exaggerated. Someone like Shen Jinian, who was almost otherworldly in his aloofness, had not shown a trace of warmth in a long time. Usually, he observed people coldly, rarely intervening. Though he was the class monitor, he seldom expressed opinions or scolded anyone. Others’ mistakes and foolish actions were just part of life’s theater to him—he watched but never commented. Whenever he did show the slightest hint of emotion, the gossip-loving girls would spend ages trying to decipher its meaning.

His expressions were minimal. When most students were called on by the teacher, they either panicked or tried to bluff their way through. But Shen Jinian was the type who was only called upon when the teacher had gone through the entire class and no one else had the answer.

There were very few things he didn’t know. And even if he didn’t know, he would reply calmly: “I need to think about this further, but I believe it can be considered from the perspective of XX.”

Thus, he was nicknamed the “Walking Encyclopedia”—a person who seemed detached from the world yet omniscient.

Shen Jinian and Sheng Xia returned before the fourth period.

Back in the classroom, Shen Jinian never spoke to the transfer student again.

So, the half-true, half-fabricated rumors, exaggerated by retelling, didn’t gain much traction.

Since Sheng Xia’s fight with Wenzhu had been so shocking, most students hesitated to approach her, keeping their distance while watching with curiosity. The only exception was Zhu Lili, who kept turning around to apologize to Sheng Xia, promising to teach Wenzhu a lesson next time.

Sheng Xia simply shook her head in silence.

After Zhu Lili nagged her for a while, Sheng Xia finally looked up and said, “No need. I don’t like never-ending feuds.”

Zhu Lili raised an eyebrow, feeling oddly intimidated by her response.

Just moments ago, Sheng Xia had fought fiercely, clearly not a novice. Her presence was more commanding than Zhu Lili’s own—it was obvious she had experience.

“Hey,” Zhu Lili asked, “were you from Chaoyang Middle School?”

Sheng Xia hummed in confirmation.

“I heard everyone at Chaoyang knew you?”

Sheng Xia frowned slightly, licked her lips, and said with a hint of mockery, “Probably because my dad was the principal.”

“Huh?” Zhu Lili had been expecting an epic tale of a legendary school bully, but the truth was disappointingly mundane.

“Former principal,” Sheng Xia added, pressing her lips together.

He had passed away.

Sheng Xia could barely remember his face anymore. She only recalled that when he frowned, he looked imposing. Back then, she had been spoiled—whenever she felt wronged, she would hug his leg and cry. The moment she cried, his stern face would soften with concern, and he would comfort her over and over, standing up for her so no one dared to bully her.

She furrowed her brows.

She hated reminiscing about useless things.

Zhu Lili let out a short “Oh” and finally lost interest, turning back around.

However, her deskmate, Li Yanan, was intrigued. She turned toward Sheng Xia and asked, “Is it true that Chaoyang Middle School is really chaotic? I heard the fights there are brutal.”

Sheng Xia, looking disinterested, nodded. “More or less.”

“Ah…” Li Yanan wanted to ask more.

But Sheng Xia impatiently tapped her fingers on the desk. “Listen to the lesson.”

Her commanding presence surpassed even Zhu Lili’s.

She had no patience and was rather fierce.

If she didn’t have such an adorably youthful face, people would probably want to hit her.

Li Yanan sneaked a glance at Sheng Xia, who was frowning while reading her history textbook. She often furrowed her brows, and when annoyed, she would press her tongue against her cheek.

Li Yanan whispered to Zhu Lili, “I bet Sheng Xia looks really cute when she smiles. She seems so young, but why is she so fierce?”

Zhu Lili scoffed. “You should’ve seen her fighting Wenzhu. If you did, you wouldn’t want to see her smile anymore. She was like a little demon. When Shen Jinian dragged her away, she even glanced back at Wenzhu—gave me chills.”

At lunchtime, Zhu Lili and Li Yanan took Sheng Xia to the cafeteria. They were overflowing with curiosity about the transfer student, practically glued to her side.

The three of them arrived early and found a good spot.

Sheng Xia’s tray had a small portion of rice, some vegetables, fish, and a small dish of soybeans.

Zhu Lili teased, “Why do you eat like a cat? With your size, where did you get all that strength from?”

Li Yanan quietly explained which cafeteria dishes were worth trying.

Sheng Xia listened for a while, nodded, but didn’t comment.

She didn’t talk much and wasn’t particularly irritable—just impatient and a bit hot-tempered. As long as she wasn’t provoked, she was easy to get along with.

She was the type to yield to kindness but not to force.

After lunch, Zhu Lili and Li Yanan, acting like two overprotective sisters, bought her a yogurt, afraid she hadn’t eaten enough.

Sheng Xia didn’t refuse but fished some change from her pocket and gave it to Zhu Lili.

“It’s just a bottle of yogurt, my treat. Don’t be so formal.”

Sheng Xia tilted her head slightly, glanced at her, and slowly shook her head.

Hands in her pockets, she followed Zhu Lili and Li Yanan back to class at a leisurely pace.